What stands out worked out from the figures below

Northbridge has the most affordable homes ($449k median).

Bedford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10%).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Northbridge	Bedford
People
Population	16,458Lowest	23,746Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+10%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.8±2.6Lowest 13% above U.S.	45±2.2Highest 16% above U.S.
	Bedford and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.1%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22%	22.7%±2.5Highest U.S.: 22%
	Bedford and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16.4%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	20.5%±2.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Bedford and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	36.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	63%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.3%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.7%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Bedford and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$111,319±$19kLowest 38% above U.S.	$167,418±$12kHighest 107% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$448,600±$15kLowest 35% above U.S.	$612,100±$26kHighest 84% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,207±$102Lowest 15% below U.S.	$2,099±$274Highest 49% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,821Lowest 55% above U.S.	$9,803Highest 214% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.2%±9.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	59.4%±15.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Bedford and Northbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	70.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	82.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1973Lowest 7 yrs older than U.S.	1990Highest 10 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 17% above U.S.	25 minLowest 4% below U.S.
Work from home	16.2%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	27%±3.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#226 of 282 in MA	#7 of 120 in NH
School district	Northbridge	Bedford School District
High school in town	Northbridge High	Bedford High School
Students per teacherat that high school	10.8Lowest	13.5Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.